scholarly journals What is eSports and why do people watch it?

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juho Hamari ◽  
Max Sjöblom

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate why do people spectate eSports on the internet. The authors define eSports (electronic sports) as “a form of sports where the primary aspects of the sport are facilitated by electronic systems; the input of players and teams as well as the output of the eSports system are mediated by human-computer interfaces.” In more practical terms, eSports refer to competitive video gaming (broadcasted on the internet). Design/methodology/approach The study employs the motivations scale for sports consumption which is one of the most widely applied measurement instruments for sports consumption in general. The questionnaire was designed and pre-tested before distributing to target respondents (n=888). The reliability and validity of the instrument both met the commonly accepted guidelines. The model was assessed first by examining its measurement model and then the structural model. Findings The results indicate that escapism, acquiring knowledge about the games being played, novelty and eSports athlete aggressiveness were found to positively predict eSport spectating frequency. Originality/value During recent years, eSports (electronic sports) and video game streaming have become rapidly growing forms of new media in the internet driven by the growing provenance of (online) games and online broadcasting technologies. Today, hundreds of millions of people spectate eSports. The present investigation presents a large study on gratification-related determinants of why people spectate eSports on the internet. Moreover, the study proposes a definition for eSports and further discusses how eSports can be seen as a form of sports.

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pranay Verma

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate if animosity outbreaks against China result in a consumer’s reluctance to buy Chinese goods. It further studies the relationship of consumer animosity upon boycott and reluctance to buy (RTB). Design/methodology/approach A descriptive research design was applied by using the self-administered survey method for collecting data from 473 participants, mostly working graduates from the metropolitan city of Delhi in India. Thereafter, the measurement model was checked by confirming the reliability and validity of the constructs followed by checking for the strength and direction of the proposed hypothesis of the structural model (using SPSS 23 and AMOS 20) and to validate the proposed model developed based on the regret theory. Findings All the three types of animosity tend to negatively influence the buying behavior. When markets mature, consumers become concerned about their country’s civil status and boycott goods from hostile countries or places. Through this research, it is possible to find consequences of animosity on Chinese goods consumption, which is RTB. Boycott mediates the animosity relationship with RTB. The regret theory implies that individuals hold self-blame for taking an alternative decision. Domestic market players like local retailers, merchandisers, importers avoiding importing products originating from offending countries would be the managerial implications. Originality/value Consumer boycott is not unheard of in a Sino Indian context, but it lacks empirical research. This paper addresses perceived hostilities between two emerging super powers by applying the regret theory.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Mumtaz Khan ◽  
Muhammad Shujaat Mubarik ◽  
Syed Saad Ahmed ◽  
Tahir Islam ◽  
Essa Khan

PurposeThis study aims to ascertain the role of servant leadership in inducing flow at work. The study, along with confirming the relation between flow at work and innovative work behavior (IWB), intends to explore the mediating role flow at work plays in relating servant leadership to IWB.Design/methodology/approachThe data collection was conducted through an interviewee-administered questionnaire in three waves that were four weeks apart. The data were collected from 267 respondents. To run the measurement model and structural model, Smart-PLS was used, and Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS) was used to summarize the demographic information and conduct hierarchal regression.FindingsServant leadership is related to flow at work. Additionally, flow at work is related to IWB. Finally, flow at work mediates the relationship between servant leadership and IWB.Originality/valueThe study found servant leadership is related to flow at work. Moreover, the study unearthed the relation between flow at work and IWB. Finally, the study unveiled that flow at work acts as a mediator between servant leadership and IWB.


2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 631-654 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ibrahim M. Awad ◽  
Alaa A. Amro

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to map the cluster in the leather and shoes sector for improving the competitiveness of the firms. Toward this end, the study is organized to examine the impact of clustering on competitiveness improvement. The influence of competitive elements and performance (Porter’s diamond) and balanced score card was utilized. Design/methodology/approach A random sample of 131 respondents was chosen during the period from May 2016 to July 2016. A structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis was applied to investigate the research model. This approach was chosen because of its ability to test casual relationships between constructs with multiple measurement items. Researchers proposed a two-stage model-building process for applying SEM. The measurement model was first examined for instrument validation, followed by an analysis of the structural model for testing associations hypothesized by the research model. Findings The main findings show that there is a unidirectional causal relationship between improvements of performance and achieve competitiveness and also reveal that the Palestinian shoes and leather cluster sector is vital and strong, and conclude that clustering can achieve competitiveness for small- and medium-sized enterprises. Research limitations/implications Future research can examine the relationship between clustering and innovation. The effect of clustering using other clustering models other than Porter’s model is advised to be used for future research. Practical implications The relationships among clustering and competitiveness may provide a practical clue to both, policymakers and researchers on how cluster enhances economic firms such as a skilled workforce, research, development capacity, and infrastructure. This is likely to create assets such as trust, synergy, collaboration and cooperation for improved competitiveness. Originality/value The findings of this study provide background information that can simultaneously be used to analyze relationships among factors of innovation, customer’s satisfaction, internal business and financial performance. This study also identified several essential factors in successful firms, and discussed the implications of these factors for developing organizational strategies to encourage and foster competitiveness.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Heetae Cho

PurposeAnalyzing sport fans' emotions has attracted much attention and offered important implications for research on sport consumer behavior. As such, diverse emotional factors have been considered to understand their behavioral responses. However, the concept of nostalgia has been examined to a lesser extent in the context of sport. Thus, this study investigated the role of nostalgia and its relationships with place attachment and revisit intention. The frequency of past experience was used as a moderator in this study.Design/methodology/approachData collection was performed during six professional baseball games in South Korea, and 461 responses were collected from sport tourists. This study tested the reliability and validity of the measurement model and examined the relationships between constructs.FindingsResults showed that nostalgia positively affected place attachment and revisit intention; place attachment played a mediating role between nostalgia and revisit intention. In addition, this study found that the relationship between nostalgia and place attachment was moderated by past experience.Originality/valueThis study identified how nostalgia can drive the development of a bond between place and sport fans, encouraging them to keep returning to the place where they are attached.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Som Sekhar Bhattacharyya ◽  
Shaileshwar Goswami ◽  
Raunak Mehta ◽  
Bishwajit Nayak

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify and predict the key factors that influenced the usage intention of over the top (OTT) services by consumers. This was done by applying the modified unified theory of acceptance and use of technology 2 (UTAUT2) model. Design/methodology/approach An online survey questionnaire assessed the proposed motivational factors for the adoption of OTT services. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling were conducted on collected data (n = 598) to demonstrate the reliability and validity of the measurement and structural model. Findings The model consisted of nine factors, namely, value expectancy (VE), ease of effort (EE), social influence (SI), favourable infrastructure conditions (FIC), hedonistic motivation for usage (HMU), favourable economic position (FEP), content quality (CQ), habitual behaviour (HB) and security conditions (SC). SC, VE, SI, HB and EE were the antecedent variables. FEP, CQ and FIC were the mediating variables and HMU was the dependant variable. SI and CQ of OTT services were positively associated with HMU of OTT services, FEP had no significant effects on HMU. The results also supported the explanatory strength and predictability of UTAUT2 as a model. It further extended UTAUT2 boundaries and paved the way for an extended UTAUT2 model to be developed. Originality/value The promising role of OTT services in the entertainment and media industry had gained consumer attention, however, limited empirical investigations had been conducted on explicating how user attitude and usage intention were shaped regarding the use of OTT services in the Indian context. This study served as one of the first attempts to empirically examine the adoption process, with implications for the HMU regarding OTT services. This was one of the first studies to extend the UTAUT2 theoretical model.


Kybernetes ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Imane Beqqali Hassani ◽  
Razane Chroqui ◽  
Chafik Okar ◽  
Mohamed Talea ◽  
Ahmed Ouiddad

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impact of corporate culture (CC) and hedonic motivation (HM) on the adoption of an information system (IS) inside a Moroccan company. To do so, the authors have combined and merged the “unified theory of acceptance and use of technology 2” along with the “Nguyen and Aoyama’s model” that covers the subject of CC. Later, the authors tested the research model within a Moroccan company. Design/methodology/approach In the present work, the authors used a quantitative analysis approach. Survey data were collected through oral interviews and analysis was performed based on the “partial least square” method, over a 94 sample of direct IS users. Findings The findings of the present investigation demonstrate the reliability and the validity of the established measurement model. Concerning the structural model, results support all hypotheses but with different effect size. The conclusion that can be extracted from this study is that CC and HM are important factors in the adoption process within the Moroccan firm. Originality/value This study enhances the understanding of the major factors affecting the adoption of an IS in a developing country. While several studies on adoption have been conducted, this study’s originality and contribution lays in the examination of the rarely evaluated factors: HM and CC.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 1019-1041 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mingyao Hu ◽  
Sohail S. Chaudhry

PurposeEnhancing consumer engagement in e-commerce live streaming is critical for e-commerce operators to build relationships and create consumer loyalty. Using the stimulus–organism–response model and theories from relationship marketing, the authors develop and test an integrative conceptual framework that combines various relational bonds, affective commitment, and consumer engagement.Design/methodology/approachUsing 327 valid responses from consumers of Taobao Live, the authors employed the software Mplus7.0 to evaluate the measurement model and the structural model.FindingsThe results empirically demonstrate that social and structural bonds positively affect consumer engagement directly and indirectly via affective commitment, while financial bonds have only an indirect effect via affective commitment on consumer engagement.Practical implicationsThe findings provide useful insights for e-commerce operators, who should invest in establishing relational bonds and stimulating affective commitment to improve consumer engagement.Originality/valueThis study adds to e-commerce research by being one of the first empirical studies on e-commerce live streaming, extends the marketing literature by integrating different relational bonds as antecedents of consumer engagement from the relational perspective, and enriches the affective commitment literature by distinguishing commitment to the online marketplace from commitment to the broadcaster.


2018 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 311-324 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sri Indarti ◽  
Yulia Efni

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) funding through Partnership and Development Nurturing Program (PDNP) in the development of entrepreneurial attitude and the small and micro entrepreneurs’ (SMEs’) income in Pekanbaru. Design/methodology/approach Primary data were obtained from the SMEs’ response to the development of entrepreneurial attitude, income of sales and expenses before and after getting PDNP fund. Secondary data were obtained from the publication of firms and relevant authorities. The sample used in this study comprised 95 respondents, including the SMEs in Pekanbaru who received PDNP fund in 2013 and who were selected by purposive sampling. Generalized structural component analysis (GSCA) was used to analyze the data for inner model (hypothesis testing for structural model) and outer model (measurement model for unobservable variables). Sobel test (under GSCA model) was used to test whether a variable is a mediating variable that assesses the relationship between endogenous variables and exogenous variables. Findings CSR funding (by PNBP fund) is significantly effective for entrepreneurial attitude. The higher value of CSR funding (by PNBP fund), which is reflected in the high values of turnover (X1), marketing coverage (X2), partnership program (X3) and sales (X4), will lead to a higher value of entrepreneurial attitude, which is reflected in the high value of planning (M1), confidence (M2), orientation to task (M3), risk taking (M4), leadership (M5) and honesty (M6). Entrepreneurial attitude significantly affects the income of SMEs. The higher value of entrepreneurial attitude, which is reflected in the high value of planning (M1), confidence (M2), orientation to task (M3), risk taking (M4), leadership (M5) and honesty (M6), will lead to a higher value of income of SMEs, which is reflected in the high value of effectivity (Y1), efficiency (Y2) and economist (Y3). CSR funding (by PNBP Fund) has a significant effect on the SMEs’ income with a mediation effect of entrepreneurial attitude. A high value of CSR funding (by PNBP Fund), which is reflected in the high values of turnover (X1), marketing coverage (X2), partnership program (X3) and sales (X4), will lead to a higher value of income of SMEs, which is reflected in the high value of effectivity (Y1), efficiency (Y2) and economist (Y3), if the value of entrepreneurial attitude is higher, which is reflected in the high values of planning (M1), confidence (M2), orientation to task (M3), risk taking (M4), leadership (M5) and honesty (M6). Originality/value A gap exists between the expected goals of SMEs, which is to increase people’s income through the development of their entrepreneurship, and the realization of the program. Hence, it is necessary to improve the implementation of the partnership program, which needs improvement in planning, process and the evaluation of the program. This phenomenon motivated the researcher to conduct this study so that the partnership and the community development program, as a form of CSR, benefit SMEs to increase their income.


Author(s):  
Sulaiman Lujja ◽  
Mustafa Omar Mohammad ◽  
Rusni Hassan

Purpose Islamic banking (IB) has resulted in abundant cross-border financial flows and diversified economic inter-linkages with over US$2tn in assets that have extended beyond Muslim countries to more established global financial centres and other emerging economies. Despite this remarkable diffusion, numerous developing and least-developed countries are yet to embrace IB. This study aims to examine the factors that determine public intention to adopt IB in Uganda. Design/methodology/approach This study undertook a quantitative approach where the theory of reasoned action (TRA) was used as a theoretical framework and structural equation modelling technique was applied to determine the relationship between attitude, subjective norm and public intention to adopt IB. Thus, a sample of 300 bank customers was surveyed using a questionnaire. Findings Initially, the measurement model did not fit the data well. So, the model was modified by removing an indicator with a lower loading. Finally, the structural model under maximum likelihood estimate analysis confirmed a good model fit for the data. Key findings were as follows: attitude positively influenced intention to adopt IB, whereas subjective norm influence to intention is mediated by attitude. Furthermore, public intention to adopt IB in Uganda can be predicted by attitude (R2 = 0.89) which also mediates the prediction of subjective norm to intention (R2 = 0.58). Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no study has used the TRA on the feasibility and adoption of IB. Thus, the present study is relevant in extending the theoretical body of knowledge by validating the TRA in a new field.


2017 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Reza Jalilvand ◽  
Leila Nasrolahi Vosta ◽  
Hamze Kazemi Mahyari ◽  
Javad Khazaei Pool

Purpose This paper aims to model and test the relationships between corporate social responsibility (CSR), corporate reputation (CR), word-of-mouth (WOM) behavior and customer trust (CT) within the hotel context. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire survey was conducted among 300 hotel guests. Following a two-step approach, a measurement model was estimated and then a structural model was analyzed to test six proposed hypotheses. Findings The research results show that CSR has a direct and positive effect on CT, CR and WOM; CSR has an indirect and positive influence on CT via CR and WOM as mediating variables; CR is a significant antecedent of WOM; and CR and WOM are positively associated with CT. Originality/value The research examines the relationship among CSR, CR, WOM and CT, thus contributing to hospitality management literature theoretically. In addition, relevant implications are provided for managers as to how to improve CT in service industries.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document